Camp Pendleton to receive Iwo Jima monument

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, will receive a monument of the famous World War II flag-raising at Iwo Jima.

The monument's design by Curt Fentress, designer of the National Museum of the Marine Corps Quantico base in Virginia, will replicate the version found at Quantico, while also protecting the monument from weather damage, according to a press release.

The bronze design and cast will be done by Tom Bollinger, whose uncle was killed at Iwo Jima. The monument will be able to be seen by drivers on Interstate 5, ships off of the shore and military aircraft flying overhead.

Currently, the goal is to complete the monument by the Marine Corps' birthday on November 10, 2018. The budget was set for $10.7 million with a 15 percent contingency and must be secured before the construction begins.

Dietz said that the Iwo Jima battle is not mentioned enough. "It was an all-American force of 75,000-plus that secured that small island for its airstrips," she said in a news release. "The Marine Corps' bloodiest battle (with casualty rates of up to 80 to 90 percent) saved the lives of as many as 26,000 US airmen."

"We are thrilled that this very important American symbol of courage will be on each coast for all Americans to see and acknowledge the sacrifices made," Dietz said in the release.

For more information about the monument's creation, design or how to donate, click here.